Sweet Memories of Mom & Dad LO

I don't know if you are all as addicted to chipboard as i am, but let me tell you, i just cannot get enough!  I love using it on practically every project i create and have so much fun discovering new tricks and techniques to pizzazz them up!  

My layout i'm sharing today is all about chipboard!

First of all, i was inspired by the Berry71bleu Pages June challenge which was to use our favorite line of... you guessed it...  

CHIPBOARD!!!  

And look at the amazing prize that is up for grabs, a load of beautiful and intricate Wycinanka chipboard pieces!  I never tried this line and am absolutely enthralled by their designs so, needless to say, i would LOVE to win!

My second inspiration was the beautiful Dusty Attic June Sketch :

 Now i have to admit, this sketch was somewhat of a challenge for me as it is so out of my comfort zone, but i think i succeeded at making it my own.

I have used ALL Dusty Attic chipboard on my layout, Dusty Attic being the first manufacturer of laser-cuts that i discovered and which is, still to this day, my favorite!  The small white flowers are also from Dusty Attic.

Here are some close-ups:

On the leaves, i used some Tim Holtz' crackle paint, followed by different shades of distress inks and topped them off with some Liquid Pearls and Stickles which i heated up with my heat gun.

Now i have to say that this frame is my favorite!  I just LOVE the way it turned out.  I put a thick coat of gesso that i heated up until it bubbled.  Then i put some crackle paint, heated it up again, followed by distress inks (Forest Moss and Crushed Olive) and some Stickles.

The paper and butterflies i used are from the older but still gorgeous Pink Paislee's Butterfly Garden collection.

Did i inspired you to take out those inks and get cracklin' on your chipboard?  Be ready to get your fingers dirty!  I sure did!  :)

Thanks for visiting!

My Wish (Turning 39)

Guess whose birthday it is tomorrow!?

MINE!!!

Yes, i will be turning 39 in just a few hours, and what better way to celebrate than to share with you a very special layout i have done inspired by this important day. 

 

I created this layout with the help of a few challenge prompts, including the beautiful June PPP from Prima, full of the softest and most romantic hues ever:

 

While Prima guided me through color, the latest sketch and journaling challenge at Once Upon A ...Sketch inspired me to reflect on the theme of 'Birthdays'. 

With my own 39th birthday coming up, i knew that i wanted to embrace it somehow, instead of fretting over the number as i would normally be tempted to do.  I decided to include my journaling on a piece of parchment that i rolled up and tied at the top of the page... words of wisdom for me to rediscover year after year.

 

And last, but certainly not least, my final inspiration for this layout came from one of the June tunes at Scrap It with a Song...  "My Wish" by Rascall Flatts.  I love the lyrics of that song and, just like clockwork, the title seemed to go perfectly with my page.  I was also very excited to read that Scrap It with a Song is holding a DT call.  Wouldn't it be a GREAT birthday gift to be chosen to be part of that awesome challenge blog?  I would feel truly blessed. 

Let's take a closer look at all the gorgeous Prima flowers and embellishments that i used (see below for a complete list), along with beautiful Dusty Attic chipboard that i altered using Distress Crackle Paint and Smooch:

 Prima products used:  Fairy Belle Collection "Marcelle", "Summer Dream", "En Pointe"; Cardstock Alphabet Stickers Almanac; Brick Mask; Wood Buttons Nature Garden; Vintage Trinkets Fairy Belle; Shabby Chic Treasures Bird Cage; Say It in Crystals; Designer Pearls; Millinery Collection Oatmeal; Madrigal Blossom White Librett; Whisper Collection Botanical; Sugar Blooms Fairy; Sugar Blooms Celebrate.

 

Featured Guest at Creative Scrappers

I am so happy today to be the featured guest designer on one of my favorite sketch challenge blogs, Creative Scrappers!  It is such a wonderful opportunity to be part of the CS team, even if only for a week!  Click HERE to see my feature!

I created a layout based on sketch #214:

Using mostly My Mind's Eye's Lost and Found Two collection, i wanted to make a pretty in pink layout to match with Ella's 1st grade picture.  Such a beautiful grown-up little girl!

And lots and lots of flowers and bling... just like i love it!

Make sure to check out the Creative Scrappers blog if you haven't already done so!  

You will be instantly inspired by the best sketches out there!

Happy Boy (Sunshiny Layout) Part 2

A few weeks ago, i shared with you this layout which is part of a double-page i couldn't share with you in its entirety just then (click HERE to see the actual post):

Now i can finally share with you the other part of this double-page which was inspired by this Becky Fleck sketch for the PageMaps' 6th anniversary contest (which i didn't win quite obviously, the competition being probably very fierce - hehehe):

The photos are of my friend Nathalie's little fellow Tristan... and the paper collection used is one of my favorites of the year so far, Pink Paislee's Prairie Hill.

Thanks for visiting!

Some More Generous Giveaways

I have some more awesome giveaway to share with you today!

This one is courtesy of the great Samantha Hauzer of the Me and the Little Rascals blog. 

Jammed packed with the beautiful KaiserCraft Magnolia Grove collection and many other fabulous products, this prize is sure to make you or ME! a very happy scrapper!

Click HERE to see how you could win!

*****

This other giveaway (or i should say giveaways because there really is 3 so far!) is offered by Stacy @ Scrap with Stacy!  She is celebrating her 1st Blogiversary with a BANG!  Here is just one of the multiple prizes she is giving away:

And if you love Copic Markers (as i do!), she has some of those to give away as well! 

Click HERE right away for more details and wish her a Happy 1st Blogiversary!

 

Erin's Housewarming Party Giveaways

If you like what you see, go check out Erin Blegen's blog, My Scrap Cabin, where she offers even more giveaways!  

Erin used to share a very popular blog with her sister Kelly called Scrappin' Sisters (which i visited regularly) and, just recently, they decided to start their own individual blogs.  Erin is therefore working on rebuilding her following, and since she is an amazingly talented designer, i just know you will not regret becoming a follower of her new blog.

Nadia's HUGE Birthday Giveaways!

This is my 2nd post for today, June 12th.  To see my 1st post, click HERE!

Have you all heard?!  It's one of my fave layout and sketch designers and terrific owner of the Once Upon A ...Sketch challenge blog Nadia Cannizzo's birthday on June 21st (just 5 days before MINE!) and to celebrate, she is offering 5 boxes full of yummy crafty goodies (each box consisting of one prize) to 5 lucky winners!  Here is a glance on what is inside just one of the boxes:

Now, this is one terrific giveaway!

You don't have to take my word for it...  just click HERE to see for yourself and also find out what you have to do to be in the running to win 1 of these boxes!

Make sure to wish Nadia a WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY too!!!

Published in Canadian Scrapbooker!

YES!  You heard right!  My layout 'Fly Fly Away' was published on 

*** page 30 ***

of the 

*** Summer 2012 issue ***

of 

Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine

I was so thrilled when i received my copy of the magazine a couple weeks ago!

Here is the said layout with a few close-up shots:

I am so happy that the Canadian Scrapbooker team liked it enough to make it a part of this Summer issue, thus giving me the awesome opportunity at being published in a renowned paper crafting magazine for the first time!  Hopefully it won't be the last! :)

"Toujours" Card (Artful Delight & Simon Says Stamp)

Aww... Summer.  The season of LOVE :)

My fiance and i just celebrated 6 years of happiness at the start of this month, and we have a special wedding to attend soon (no, not our own! hehe) so i was busy creating a very special card.

I was inspired by the weekly challenge of "Diamond Jubilee, Crowns, and Gems" at Simon Says Stamp as well as by this nice sketch from Artful Delight's monthly sketch challenge:

As you can see, i took a few liberties with the sketch, moving a few elements around to make everything fit nicely on a square background.  I also used the colors of the wedding which i'm sure my cousin (the soon-to-be bride) will notice and appreciate :)

Hope you enjoy!  Now i'm off to kiss my fiance! :)

Wild & Sassy Wine Bottle (TPV challenge)

This month's challenge at The Paper Variety is to step out of our comfort zone and...

What great timing since i had been wanting to create a little something different for a 'bachelorette party' gift to one of my best cousins who is getting married soon!

I was inspired by a similar idea seen on Pinterest (so sorry but i cannot find the direct link again) and created this wild and sassy corset for a bottle of wine.

 

 It was fairly easy and quick to make with just paper, eyelets, gems and ribbon.

Sassy enough for you?!  hehe

Just to let you know, i have been in some sort of Scrapper's Block for the past couple weeks, but i think i am getting my creative mojo back!  I will most likely be a little less productive over the course of the Summer because i plan on spending as much time OUTSIDE as i possibly can, but I do have quite a few projects planned and a few guest design appearances here and there (that i cannot reveal quite yet) that i am super excited about!  

So stay tuned! :)